James Russell would want to crack Cubs’ rotation, but embraces role in pen

Chicago Sun-Times | Mar 7

You can’t even identify the players with a scorecard at some of the Cubs’ spring training games.

With Starlin Castro, Matt Garza, Scott Baker and Ian Stewart injured, Anthony Rizzo with Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic and other starters getting extra rest during a lengthy spring training, the Cubs look like a minor-league team. And not a good one.

It’s early. And manager Dale Sveum seems confident that everything will sort itself out as the Cubs hope to emerge from Arizona with a team that won’t lose 100 games in 2013 — Castro will return from a hamstring injury next week; Rizzo will be back after the WBC; Garza will come off the disabled list in mid-April; and either Stewart or Luis Valbuena will start at third base.

About the only area that’s not in flux is the back of the bullpen. Carlos Marmol is the closer. Newcomer Kyuji Fujikawa is the likely set-up man. And workhorses James Russell and Shawn Camp give the Cubs a lefty-righty duo to get to Fujikawa and Marmol. In fact, the latter duo might have been the best thing the Cubs had going during a dreadful 100-loss season in 2012.